Helen Keller

Moving, Courageous, Historical, Informative, Inspirational

Helen Keller by Margaret Davidson
Illustrated by Wendy Watson

Published by Scholastic Copyright 1969

 

 

 

Reading Level: Lexile Framework 520L, Grade 3/4

Suggested Delivery: Read Aloud

Description: Non-fiction, Historical

Electronic Resources:

Scholastic
This is link to Scholastic provides a summary of the text and links to additional teaching resources.

 

Braille Basics 

This link to a PBS website provides some background information about reading with Braille and learning Sign Langauge.  Students can use this website to explore Braille and even learn how to read their own name.  To extend the use of the website, provide students with the Braille alphabet, unpopped popcorn kernels, oaktag paper, and some glue.  Have students spell out and glue their name using the popcorn kernels.

Key Vocabulary: Blind, deaf 

Teaching Suggestions:

1. Use the text to explore biographies.
2. Use the text to in social studies to learn about Helen Keller and her early life struggles and her accomplishments in her later life.
3. Use the text to teach students about diversity.  Discuss how, despite being deaf and blind, Helen Keller was able to participate fully in society, attend college, and she even became a famous speaker all over the world.

Comprehension Strategies

Pre-Reading-

During Reading- 

Post-Reading- Show students The Miracle Worker.  Complete a Venn diagram afterward to compare and contrast the film with the book.

Writing Activity: Students can use the text to learn about the format of biographies.  Students can then research their own historical figure and write a biography.  As an extension of this writing and research project, students can create props and costumes for a biography night, in which they pretend to be the person they researched.  In character, they present some information that they learned about their person.

Davidson, M., & Watson, W. (1969). Helen Keller. New York: Scholastic.